The experience can be transformative. And the impact of what you build during your time at IHPME can extend far beyond graduation.
Driven by a desire to turn a personal passion for improving patient safety into real-world impact, particularly in the fields of hematology and transfusion medicine, hematologist Dr. Mohammad Refaei enrolled in IHPME’s Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) program. According to Dr. Refaei, he was drawn to the program’s strong focus on systems thinking, implementation science and the opportunity to work alongside like-minded faculty and peers while also applying learning to healthcare settings in real time.
While in the QIPS program, he was able to bridge theory and practice by developing a quality improvement initiative on plasma utilization, an often-overlooked area in transfusion medicine, which eventually went on to be published in The International Journal of Transfusion Medicine.
“This was incredibly rewarding and reinforced the value of applying QI methodologies to clinical challenges.”
The practical tools he learned to leverage and the experience of working alongside a diverse group of healthcare professionals continue to be applied to his work today as he takes on such robust and interdisciplinary initiatives.
“IHPME provided me with a strong foundation in designing, implementing, and evaluating quality improvement initiatives. The training I received helped me move from identifying problems to systematically addressing them with measurable outcomes.”
After graduating in 2025, Dr. Refaei has translated his training into tangible impact, leading national quality improvement efforts, publishing research on plasma use, and advancing safer care in transfusion medicine.
He now holds several high-impact roles, including Assistant Professor in McMaster’s Department of Medicine and Chair of Niagara Health’s Clinical Utilization Committee. He was also recently appointed Clinician Lead for Using Blood Wisely under the mandate of Choosing Wisely Canada.
A major focus of his work has been leading the Canadian Hematology Society Choosing Wisely QIPS (CHS CWC QIPS) webinar series. This six-part virtual series brings together clinicians, researchers, and quality leaders to promote high-value care, and brings practical applications of Choosing Wisely principles to the forefront with the goal of fostering knowledge sharing across Canada.
Meanwhile, Dr. Rafaei is keeping up his academic work by continuing to publish his research on plasma utilization, and, as the new Clinician Lead for Using Blood Wisely, he regularly acts as a blood steward by leading quality improvement initiatives and working with healthcare teams across Canada to improve patient safety, continually building on and applying the insights he gained while in the QIPS program.
In his view, for those that are passionate about improving healthcare, the QIPS program extends beyond simple training. It is an opportunity to create a lasting impact.
“The experience can be transformative,” says Dr. Rafaei. “And the impact of what you build during your time at IHPME can extend far beyond graduation.”
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